Automotive latch including bearing and double pawl to facilitate release effort
OwnerMarco TAURASIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch having a ratchet biased for release of a striker and for retaining of the striker, the ratchet having a ratchet surface, a first pawl having a pawl surface, the first pawl for holding the ratchet in an initial closed position when the first pawl is engaged with the ratchet, a second pawl for maintaining the first pawl in the initial closed position when the second pawl is engaged with the first pawl, and a bearing positioned between the first pawl and the ratchet for rotation during rotation of the ratchet and the first pawl, such that contact between the ratchet and the first pawl is facilitated by one or more contact regions between an exterior surface of the bearing and adjacent respective at least one of the pawl surface or the ratchet surface.
Claims20
A latch comprising:
- a housing having a slot for a striker;
- a ratchet rotationally mounted on the housing and biased for release of the striker from the slot and retaining of the striker in the slot dependent upon angular position of the ratchet with respect to the housing, the ratchet having a ratchet surface;
- a first pawl rotationally mounted on the housing, the first pawl having a pawl surface, the first pawl for holding the ratchet in an initial closed position when the first pawl is in an engaged position;
- a second pawl rotationally mounted on the housing, the second pawl for maintaining the first pawl in the engaged position when the second pawl is engaged with the first pawl;
- and
- a bearing positioned between the ratchet surface and the pawl surface such that contact between the ratchet and the first pawl is at one or more contact regions between an exterior surface of the bearing and adjacent respective at least one of the pawl surface or the ratchet surface.
A method for operating a latch comprising the steps of:
- releasing a second pawl rotationally mounted on a housing, the second pawl for maintaining a first pawl in an initial closed position when the second pawl is engaged with the first pawl and for allowing rotation of the first pawl when the second pawl is disengaged from the first pawl;
- rotating the first pawl, the first pawl having a pawl surface, the first pawl for holding a ratchet in the initial closed position when the first pawl is in an engaged position with the ratchet;
- rotating a bearing positioned between the pawl surface and a ratchet surface, during rotation of the first pawl, such that contact between the ratchet and the first pawl is by one or more contact regions between an exterior surface of the bearing and adjacent respective at least one of the pawl surface or the ratchet surface;
- and
- rotating the ratchet, the ratchet rotationally mounted on the housing and biased for release of a striker from the slot and retaining of the striker in the slot dependent upon angular position of the ratchet with respect to the housing, the ratchet having the ratchet surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.